Although many here say that DDs really become a breeze, even enjoyable, after a while, that might not always be the case.

What are the things that make them as easy as possible for you? What I've read here so far:

Keeping busy;
Having more protein on up days/staying away from junk;
Lots of hot tasty liquids;
Postponing eating until as late in the day as possible;
Focusing on the health and healing that is happening.

Of course these are all quite individual and what works for some might not work for others.

You listed most of them.
For me the biggest thing is no eating till bedtime snack.
Staying busy is really helpful. I find brisk walking or running to also suppress appetite.
I take pterostilbene. I'm not sure how much it helps my appetite, but it does increase my energy.

I really enjoy eating, the smells, the tastes, the textures, the visual beauty of the dishes, and so I like to do something else that pleases my senses, to replace it. One of my favorites is to take a warm bath, and have scented candles lit in the bathroom. That way I get a feel, a sight, and a smell, all wrapped up together.

For me I found my routine changes throughout my time doing JUDDD so what works for one person at one time might not work for someone else at another time.

- Getting used to a routine for at least a couple of DD's as when I get off track my first few DD's are really tough and I usually eat more but then it becomes easy again.
- Some days throw a curve ball at you and you don't understand why you are hungry which could be due to TOM or other factors.
- Keeping busy is usually the key for having a good DD for me. If I have something to do that is interesting enough to keep me sidetracked from food then no matter how hungry I am I can get through the day very easily.
- I haven't noticed protein having an effect on my appetite. Having more of it may be good to retain muscle though.
- I found hot liquids like tea (especially black) to be helpful. However I found that when I do not put sweetener in them at least until the evening to be helpful at delaying the urge to eat.
- Postponing eating definitely helps me. If I get hungry then I know it is time to have some tea and wait 10 minutes and the hunger usually goes away. If I cave in just a little with a small snack, that's it, the entire evening is now focused on wanting food.
- When I do eat at dinner, I find having a good portion of vegetables to be very satisfying as well as having what you crave in very small portions to satisfy your senses and to get yourself busy right after dinner to take the focus away from food.
- Also, when you really want to eat, think that you can have whatever you want tomorrow and that usually helps you power through that moment. This is why having 2 DD in a row is tough for me and I usually just fail to have a DD at all and derail myself.

I think it is important to note that not everything works for everyone at any time. It would probably have been hard for me to delay eating until dinner at first but now it is easy and satisfying to me (I do like DD now and they come very easy most of the time). I can easily have a 200-300 calories DD now whereas before it was 500-600 and I struggled a bit then. You really have to see what works for you...

I like hearing what you guys do. I have found DDs at work are easier because im busier and I don't have the need to eat with my husband. We don't get to eat together during the week so we cherish that on the weekends. So my 1 DD on the weekend I want to eat with him so I make sure to have something small and satisfying for breakfast and dinner especially.
During the week it is much easier to ignore the hunger and stay busy.
At home I have made sure to keep very low cal things in the fridge too like baby carrots, celery and sauerkraut.
I also just tell myself I can have it tomorrow. I love nuts and today I have looked at them I don't know how many times and almost picked up the bag a couple of times but I just say no I can have some tomorrow.
It has worked so far.

*Delaying eating until later in the day
*Keeping busy and occupied
*Pterostilbene helps control my appetite. It's not obvious, but I sure noticed the difference when I forgot to take it
*Reminding myself that I'd rather lose weight and be thin than eat "fill-in-the-blank" right now
*The thought that I can have whatever I want tomorrow
*Coming here and reading how everyone else is going through exactly the same things I am

See, this is why I just don't eat on DDs. There is no leeway or question. If I get hungry -it's just the way it is and it will pass. I know if I had to plan 500 calorie meals, I would start trying to fit things in here and there that aren't good for me and the calories will creep up.

Thanks for all these, everyone! Some great stuff here. I'm going to try a scented bath next time, Sirtain. And maybe a walk just for it's own sake, Carly, or some calisthenics when the hungries visit.

And K4, being patient with yourself is a great reminder.

On the theme of tasty hot drinks, on my last DD I liked treating myself to a black coffee from Starbucks. I never get coffee out anymore, but may change that rule for DDs. Maybe I can justify it by calculating how much $ I'm saving on food!

Oh man, I could not survive my DDs without coffee. Its completely necessary (for me) to make it through my DDs. Must. Have. Coffee!!
Totally justifiable to bust out the coffee with all that money you're saving. I totally agree.

__________________
*****************************************My Potato Hacking JournalAll I ask is that you lead an evidence-based life.

Egg drop soup!! Great idea.
Dawn, I too tend too just make it a boring day. Egg whites, tuna, shrimping broth. Simple things like that. I am making chili this morning for DH. He still needs his meals. Lol.

Today is a DD, and not a particularly easy one, at home on a weekend. Re-reading this thread has helped, plus reciting to myself all the benefits (proven and hypothesized) of fasting besides weight loss:

better hunger regulation from re-setting leptin receptors
lowered inflammation
improved insulin sensitivity
reduced cholesterol, blood pressure and other CAD markers
reduced amyloid plaques in brain and thus decreased chance for dementia
reduced cell proliferation and so chances of cancer
weight loss is more from fat than from muscle
allows for eating to true satiation on feeding days

I'm so new here that it's kind of obnoxious to share any kind of "knowledge", but I have noticed that the last few DDs have been much, much easier if I eat a very low carb dinner the night before. What that translates to is a large portion of meat, basically, with a small salad.

I eat low carb all the time, so that isn't all that unusual for me, but I was eating a few higher carb veggies and nuts and some low carb goodies in the evening. But purely by accident I found that if I had those earlier in the day and ate primarily protein for dinner I woke up without feeling hungry and the DD was a breeze.

Of course you can, and probably should, take that with a grain of salt unless someone with more experience has the same effect. I'm a total newbie and it might just be coincidence that the plan kicked in as it would have anyway. But it's not difficult for me to do it this way so I'll keep doing it until life intrudes --- and then we'll see if I'm right!

I'm so new here that it's kind of obnoxious to share any kind of "knowledge", but I have noticed that the last few DDs have been much, much easier if I eat a very low carb dinner the night before. What that translates to is a large portion of meat, basically, with a small salad.

I eat low carb all the time, so that isn't all that unusual for me, but I was eating a few higher carb veggies and nuts and some low carb goodies in the evening. But purely by accident I found that if I had those earlier in the day and ate primarily protein for dinner I woke up without feeling hungry and the DD was a breeze.

Of course you can, and probably should, take that with a grain of salt unless someone with more experience has the same effect. I'm a total newbie and it might just be coincidence that the plan kicked in as it would have anyway. But it's not difficult for me to do it this way so I'll keep doing it until life intrudes --- and then we'll see if I'm right!

This sounds like great advice!! I know that when I let the carbs get out of control on an UD then the following DD is a nightmare. It's an all day fight to keep the calories low.

I'm also one who needs to not start eating on DDs until absolutely necessary. As soon as I start chewing the hungries and munchies haunt me all day.

Today is only my second DD since getting back on the wagon. I'm struggling because the hotel we stayed at last night gave us two free vouchers for breakfast at a lovely Bistro. I was not hungry, but I did not want to pass up "free". So I had two over easy eggs and one serving of sausage.

From now on, I don't care about FREE!!!!! I felt much, much better two days ago when I only had 95 calories all day and that was from half and half in my coffee and one teaspoon of coconut oil.

Lesson learned!!! No more 7 a.m. breakfasts no matter how lovely the restaurant. I'll stick to coffee and iced water.

__________________Yam-Yam

"Weight loss isn't about winning a race; it's about crossing the finish line at your own pace." -Dianna Rodriguiz

Locarbarella, a lot of us find certain 'trigger' foods that seem to bleed over and impact the next day. Those triggers can be as broad as 'carbs' or very narrow and specific like sweets after 8 pm or, gosh do I remember someone had that problem with fish?

Anyway, that was very insightful of you!

I tend to get very strong appetite suppression. But good old 'Hunger is not an emergency' has seen me through some tough times.

Oh, and water. And pickles. I used to carry pickles everywhere just in case.

I love nuts and today I have looked at them I don't know how many times and almost picked up the bag a couple of times but I just say no I can have some tomorrow.
It has worked so far.

The secret for me is I only keep nuts in-the-shell on hand. Even on a DD, I plan for them: two walnuts, two hazelnuts, and two almonds. Since I have to crack them to eat them, I find it slows me down enough to give me the control I need to only eat a couple. It's almost like a ritual for me. Every day DD or UD I have my nuts-in-the-shell as a late night snack.

If I need nuts for a recipe I only buy exactly what I need and if I have any left over I make sure to get my family to eat them right away. Shell-less nuts around the house are my kryptonite.

Working (2nd shift during the week, whenever on the weekends at my other job)
Drinking plenty of water and hot tea
Knowing that if I eat a ton, I will feel guilty that night and all the next day
Going to the gym or swimming (haven't been as much as I should be lately)

__________________As of 5/19/2014, No longer "overweight"!
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Can now see my xylophone
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Do not reward yourself with food, you're not a dog
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Your great granny's granny had a term for healthy food...she called it food

I use many of the same tactics too - keeping busy for sure, weekend DDs are brutal. Another one for me is that I'm supposed to feel hungry and be starving in order for the JUDDD to work, so I tell myself it's ok/normal to be hungry, it'll pass. I find coffee with cream a appetite suppressant but then you use those precious calories on cream rather than food.

I'm amazed at the number of people who don't eat anything all day...I wish I could do that but I start getting a headache or really grumpy.

I'm so new here that it's kind of obnoxious to share any kind of "knowledge", but I have noticed that the last few DDs have been much, much easier if I eat a very low carb dinner the night before. What that translates to is a large portion of meat, basically, with a small salad.

I eat low carb all the time, so that isn't all that unusual for me, but I was eating a few higher carb veggies and nuts and some low carb goodies in the evening. But purely by accident I found that if I had those earlier in the day and ate primarily protein for dinner I woke up without feeling hungry and the DD was a breeze.

Of course you can, and probably should, take that with a grain of salt unless someone with more experience has the same effect. I'm a total newbie and it might just be coincidence that the plan kicked in as it would have anyway. But it's not difficult for me to do it this way so I'll keep doing it until life intrudes --- and then we'll see if I'm right!

It makes sense to me. I have not gone completely low carb on an up day but I do need to try to watch it and see if it makes a difference in my losses. Worth a try. I may try having a boiled egg on a dd too. Only 70 calories and higher in fat and protein.